Means and method for packaging sheet materials



G. L. HANN June 11, 1935.

- MEANS AND METHOD FOR PACKAGING SHEET MATERIALS Filed April 28, 1932 RMW W w L m M w mm f Patented June 11, 1935 MEANS AND METHOD FOR PACKAGINGSEE! MATEREALS George L. Hann, Staten Island, N. Y., assignor to UnitedStates Gypsum Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of IllinoisApplication April 28, 1932, Serial No. 608,047

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improved shipping packages and methodsof packaging and more particularly relates to the packaging of sheetmaterials so as to prepare the same to, I

-' which is of unusually simple, sound and eflicient withstand therigors of transportation.

with more or less success. Some of the methodsevolved have beenrelatively efficient but withal prohibitive in cost as compared to thevalue of the material being shipped. Other and less expensive methodshave been inefficient due to the insufficient protection afforded thesheets and/or the inability of the packageto withstand hard usage.Particularly perplexing have been these problems where the shipment ofrelatively heavy materials such as composition wallboards is involved,where it is a requisite that the materials be shipped in as large unitsas possible consistent with handling facilities, because of the bulk ofthe material compared with its value. Such a package must protect thesheets against all ordinary damaging infiuences of handling andtransshipment, must be as simple as possible to construct and handle,must be compact and, above all, must be economical.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shippingpackage, particularly adapted for sheet materials, which will withstandall ordinary usages of transportation and which is of such a compact,unitary construction as to afiord protection to the goods even where theshipment must be protected against unusually vigorous handling, or otherexternal conditions.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a sturdy,inexpensive skid construction adapted to form a. foundation for thepackage.

Another object is to provide a shipping package for sheet materialswhich is bound together with suitable strands and in which the edges ofthe package are protected against the cutting or crushing action of thestrands under compression.

Another object is to provide packaging for sheet materials which is ofless weight and which adds less bulk to the shipment than meansheretofore used for the same purpose.

Another object is to provide a shipp Package construction and which isof such low cost that it need not be returned to the shipper, as hasbeen the practice with the more expensive types of crates, packings,etc., heretofore employed for similar purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide va simple expeditious,"economical method of Figure 2 is a plan view of a preferred form ofskid construction;

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on line 6-4! of Fig. l; m

Figure 4 illustrates a method of handling the completed package; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view type of angle corner protector foundparticularly desirable.

While the present invention contemplates the packaging of many difierenttypes of sheet material, I have found it particularly well suited forsheet material of a more or less fragile nature, such as wallboard II),which is rendered practically useless for intended purposes by damage tothe edges or body portion, andwhich it has always been' diflicult totransport economically due to the large percentage of waste by breakagewhere the packaging was of light construction, and due to the excessivecost of packaging Where a large factor of damage resistance was desired.Cementitious wallboards, such as gypsum boards or other boards wholly orpartially comprising plastic materials, present a. decided problembecause in addition to being rather fragile they are relatively bulkyand heavy, It has therefore been the custom heretofore to ship suchboards only in relatively small bundles. My shipping package has beenfound to meet all requirements very satisfactorily and permits of theshipment of relativcly large stacks of board as single units. Theelements of the package preferably comprise a skid, indicated generallyby the numeral ll, consisting of skids or runners l2 and platform l3;enclosing means M to cover the exposed surfaces of a particular I of thestack of boards l; binding strands l; and corner protectors 16.

The skid member II is preferably constructed entirely of wood, chieflybecause that is the cheapest material available, but is may be wholly orpartially made of metallic parts. The skids I2 are preferably a pair ofsuitable timbers extending the length of the platform l3; and theplatform l3 preferably comprises longitudinal members I! and transversemembers l8 in close end-abutting cooperation, said members I! and I8being secured to the skids I2 by suitable means such as nails 20,substantially as shown in Fig. 2. While the members "3 of the platformare essential for spacing the skids l2 and for providing a base for thestack of sheets ill, the members ll serve chiefly as fillers and spacersbetween the members l8 to provide a rectangular, uni-planular base forreception of -the stack. The square abutment of these platform membersI! and I8, it is evident, rigidifies the skid unit and impartsconsiderable resistance to skewing due to severe usage. All the membersof the skid means H are preferably made upin duplicate according topredetermined dimensions for the various sizes of skids required for thevariable sizes of sheets to be packed. By this procedure parts for manyskid members may be made according to a schedule of standards and may beproduced in quantity, the cost per unit being thereby correspondinglyreduced. I have found, for example,

that in a plaster boardplant a good source of -lumber for the members l1and I8 of the skid means resides in the boards or slats used forprotecting the ends of the large rolls of paper employed for coveringsheets on the faces of the plaster board. This lumber is used to protectthe ends of the rolls during shipment and handling prior to use and hasheretofore been considered so much waste which has generally beenburned. No doubt there are other or similar sources of waste lumber thatmay be used for, the purpose available in almost any plant in which myshipping package might be found of value. The cost of the package is, ofcourse, reduced in proportion as this waste material is utilized.

The enclosing means I! preferably comprises relatively stiff panels,which may be wood or any other suitable means, such as rejected sheetsof the material being shipped. For example, where wallboard is beingshipped, I have found that the least expensive-and most abundantlyavailable material is that which is known as bulls or dunnage, that is,imperfect pieces of board such as may have been imperfectly manufacturedor which may have been damaged during manufacture or handling and whichare waste, generally thrown in a scrap heap to be disposed of in asuitable manner. A good percentage of this cull material is in the formof large pieces or sheets,

and I make use of these by cutting them to substantially the requiredsizes for protecting the exposed faces of the stack. In order to secureadditional protectionto the top of the stack, the enclosing means It onthe sides of the stack may be of greater vertical dimensions than thestack to be enclosed, so that the ends may be folded over to form flapsIda which overlap the top of the stack. Another piece of the enclosingmeans l4 may then be placedon top of the stack over the flaps Ila (seeFig. 3). The utility of covering the stack with the enclosing means Itis manifold. Not only are the exposed parts of the sheets in the stack:protected against damage by scraping or concussion, but where the sheetsare such as may become objectionably soiled or discolored by soot, dirt,water, or the like, they are effectively protected thereagainst by theenclosing means l4. Moreover, the enclosing means also tends to rigidifythe package when it is bound into a'unit. Additional protection againstdamage by moisture may be obtained by wrapping the stack of boards IIIwith a suitable waterproofing fabric 2 I, such as waterproof ed paper orthe like; and, where desired, waterproof ing means may also be appliedto the outside of the package.

It is generally desirable, particularly where the sheets being packagedare of a type that may.

become damaged by staining or scufling, to nail a piece'of the enclosingmaterial, such as a panel l3a, to the face of the skid platform l3 so asto afford protection for the lowermost sheetof the stack. This surfacingpanel l3a, upon being securely nailed to the skid platform l3, not onlyprovides a. smooth-surface for the stack of sheets, but it also servesto strengthen the skid unit and rigidify the same. The use of surfacingmeans l3a permits of constructing the skid members of rough lumber. Ihave found that as a matter of convenience itis desirable to secure apanel [3a to the platform 13 as soon as the members I! and ll! of theplatform have been fastened to the skids l2, so that no delays will beexperienced in using the skid means due to first. having to position apanel l3a thereon.

The platform I3 is preferably of face dimensions somewhat greater thanthe dimensions 'of the sheets to be packed so that after the protectiveenclosing means It is in place against the stack such means ll will notprotrude beyond the edges of the platform.

The strands l5 may comprise any suitable binding means such as wire,metallic bands, fiber or wire rope, or the like, but I have found thatfor shipping such sheet material as gypsum wallboard suitable steelbinding wire is very satisfactory in practice. A pair of these strandsl5 preferably embraces the stack and platform both longitudinallyandtransversely, the strandsbeing tightened in any suitable manner so asto thoroughly and solidly tie the entire package into a relatively rigidunit.- In addition, a strand 22 may be bound around the packageintermediate the upper and lower faces thereof, either under or overstrands l5. This strand 22 may be omitted in certain cases, but is ofadvantage in that it serves particularly to keep the enclosing panels lltogether at the vertical edges of the package and prevents their drawingaway therefrom due to warping or bulging whereby the edges might bebroken or cause'trouble in transit. Furthermore, this strand is anadditional rigidifying. factor. Only one strand 22 is illustrated, butwhere desired a plurality of the same may be employed.

In order to permit the transverse strands to embrace the package withoutinterference with the function of the :skids I 2, suitable kerfs 23 arepreferably formed in the platform-abutting faces.of the skids l2 topermit passage of the strands ISunder theplatform l3. These kerfs '23also provide for positioning of the strands, and prevent slipping of thestrands whenthe package is scraped against another object. All thestrands I5 are to a large extent prevented from slipping or crawling byreason of the fact that they become embedded to a certain extent in theedges of the timbers I1 and I8 due to compression. This is particularlyadvantageous for the longitudinal strands I5 as well as to preventdisplacement of the same.

Obviously, where the sheet material being packed is of a relativelyfragile naturefsuch as wallboard, there will be danger of the strands l5cutting or crushing into'the comers of the stack and damaging the sheetsadjacent thereto, due to the compression force these strands are made toexert in binding the assembly'flnto a unit. In particular is this dangerprevalent where the enclosing means It comprises merely portions ofdamaged board which are likewise likely to be crushed by the compressionof the strands. I have, therefore, found the comer protectors [6, whichmay be of any suitable type under the circumstances, particularlyadvantageous for interposition between the strands l5 and 22 and theedges of the stack. A type of protector which I have found verysatisfactory in this connection, but to the specific features of which Imake no claim except insofar as they may function in my improvedcombination, comprises a tempered, resilient, metallic angle. This anglemember is pressed from resilient sheet steel or the like'and is formedwitha pair of stiffening beads or ridges 25, which also serve as guidesfor the binding strands (see Fig. 5). In addition, the comer 26 of theangle member is formed somewhat in the nature of an outward arc, wherebythat portion of'the corner 26 between the beads 25 is somewhat higherthan at the sides of the angle. This is accomplished. by reducing thesharpness of the angle of the C01- ner 26 toward the sides of the memberso that the corner assumes a more and more arcuate shape away from theridges 25. The angle member is also formed somewhat more acutely than aright angle. Consequently, as the strands I5 and 22 are tightened, theangles IE will be forced to expand to the substantially right angularcontours of the edges of the stack. Since the members it are resilientin nature, it is obvious that when they are forced to their expandedposition they will function to exert a constant outward pressure uponthe strands i5 and 22 due to the tendency of the angles to assume theiroriginal unCXpanded shape; and if the strands for any reason tend tobecome slack, the contraction of these angles it serves to a certainextent to take up the slack to keep the strands taut at all times.

Heretofore, in packaging sheet materials, such as wallboards, for exportshipment or the like, it has been customary to pile the sheets looselyas manufactured in any suitable manner and place or to store the samepreparatory to packaging as needed, inasmuch as the crates or similarmeans used to pack the sheets had to be especially constructed for eachbundle, or the packing had to be carried out with special apparatus, orthe materials and equipment necessary for packing required aconsiderable space for the purpose apart from the space available at thefinishing end of the fabricating lay-out. The method of packing sheetmaterials, such as gypsum wallboards, for example, according to myinvention is exceedingly simple yet thoroughly effective and ispreferably carried on at the point where the finished sheets aredelivered in the process of manufacture.

To this end, a number of ready-made skid members ll, adapted toaccommodate the particular size of sheets being manufactured, are placedadjacent the point where they are to be used. One

of the skid members is suitably positioned at the delivery end of thesheet forming machine; and as the sheets are delivered a stack of sheetsI0 is piled up on the skid. After a suitable number of sheets have beenstacked thereon, the skid is pushed to one side and another skid is putin its place. In order to facilitate moving the bundle to a newposition, the skid timbers I2 are .preferably beveled adjacent theirends, as indicated at '28, so that they may be easily rolled over suchmeans as. lengths of pipe or rods 29, commonly employed for shiftingrelatively heavy objects of this nature.

After being moved over to one side, the skid and I out and placed in arailway car,-automobile truck,

or the like; or where the plant is situated adjacent a navigable body ofwater the package may be moved directly from the place where it ispacked onto a wharf to be hoisted into the hold of a vessel. Therigidity of the completed package adapts it very readily to handlingwith such means as'a chain or rope sling 29, or the like, in combinationwith a suitable crane. Spreaders 30 are provided to keep the chains orropes of the sling from chafing the upper edges of the package. Thebeveling 28 of the skid members l2 allows the sling 29, or otherhoisting and shifting means, to be readily positioned under the skids.

My method of packing, it is apparent, reduces handling of the sheetmaterialfrom forming machine to package, and consequently minimizes thebreakage and damage usually incident to such handling. The presentsystem of packing lends itself admirably to rapid quantity production.Materials which are generally considered useless waste may be utilizedin building the package, and such elements of the package as must beprocured aside from the ready sources of waste materials on hand are.readily obtainable at low cost in standard units or quantities and arereadily adaptable for the purpose. The various elements necessary forpackaging require very little storage space prior to use, and after thepackage has been completed very little is added to the bulk of the stackof sheets itself. The wood, which is the preferred material of the skidmember H, is

capable of withstanding much abuse and will absorb the shocks of themany blows to which the package is subject in the course oftrans-shipment. My package is so thoroughly bound into a unit that thereis no danger of the stack skewing due to slipping of the sheets, becausethe sheets are not only held together in frictional engage-. ment bycompression of the strands I5, but the enclosing means l4 also serve tohold the same in alignment should the package sufler extraordinaryconcussions, such, for example, as where the package may be droppedduring hoisting or is carried sharply against an unyielding surface. Theedges of the stack are thoroughly protected against cutting or crushingby the strands, and the strands themselves are securely retained against81mm or crawling. Moreover, should there be any tendency of the strandsto slacken through stretching or by becoming embedded in the wood of theskid member, the contraction ofthe protectors IE will serve to a certainextent to take up the slack so as to keep the strands taut. Thematerials required for building up the package are of such aninexpensive character that they need not necessarily be returned by theuser of the goods packed, as the cost of such materials compared withthe cost of the quantity of sheets which may be shipped as a unit is'sosmall bers l1 and I8 two inch by six inch boards.

that the same is negligible when distributed over the value of theshipment.

I have found that in the shipment of gypsum wallboard the'described typeof package is unexcelled for transportation as a unit of about onehundredthree-eighth inchboards having surface dimensions of about fourfeet by six to ten feet; or about one hundred and fifty quarter inchboards of similar surface dimensions. The weight of the stack of boardswill vary from threequarters of a ton to two tons. For this typeofshipment, the skid members l2 are preferably four by four inch timbersand the platform mem- In the shipment of wallboard, for example,- noonly aresavings effected in packing the boards by utilizing myeconomical system of packaging, but considerable savings may alsobeeflected in transportation charges. It is well known to railwayshippers that reduced freight rates are obtainable for open flat'carshipments. Heretofore, wallboard of any type has generally been shippedto more or less distant points in enclosed box' cars, primarily becausethis product is generally liable to damage by moisture if exposed to theelements. This has rendered a condition where there is, in addition tothe greater cost of box car transportation, considerable expenseentailed in loading or unloading the box' cars, because ordinarily thesheets are of such dimensions that they may be packed only in smallunits due to the limitations presented by the size of the openings inthe cars as well as the limitations of weight the men handling thepackages can conveniently manipulate. By utilizing my sys- 'tem, many ofthese problems are overcome and ,wallboard may be shipped in open flatcars, motor trucks and the like to good advantage. The sboards will bethoroughly protected against rain or snow by the waterproofing means 2|,and the skid members l2 insure that the boards will be kept out of anyaccumulations of water. Moreover, the packages may be loaded andunloaded from the open cars with mechanical equipment or by rolling thesame over roller means 28.

After receipt by the dealer or user, ,handling and storage of the boardis considerably facilitated. The skid member ll forms a means forconveniently storing or warehousing the boards, and the boards ,may beremoved one or more at a time asv needed for sale or use. The stack maybe shifted as desired in toto without handling a plurality of individualboards or small packages of boards, the skid member ll rendering thispossible even after some of the boards have been removed-from the stack.Obviously, the ds are thus largely protected against the usua mage andbreakage experienced in this phase of wallboard economics.v

I would state in conclusion that while the'illustrated examplesconstitute practical embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to limitmyself precisely to these details, since manifestly the same may beconsiderably varied without departing from the spirit of the inventionas defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A shipping package for a'relatively large stack of composition wallboards, comprising a cling the package under substantial tension andpassing over said protecting m'embers, said protecting members being inthe form of an acute angle and having the line of intersection of thesurfaces of the angle'outwardly convexed whereby said abutting edgeportions of the covering panels are held in tightly gripping engagementby the tension of said tie wires to produce a strong, rigid covering forthe package.

2. A shipping package for a relatively large stack of compositionwallboards, comprising a rigid wooden base frame, panels ofwastewallaboard covering all sides of said stack, including a panelplaced on said base frame and having the stack placed thereon, resilientmetal-angle pro- .tecting members located at intervals at the corners ofthe package, and tie wires encircling the package under substantialtension and passing oversaid protecting members, said waste panels beingof substantial thickness and rigidity but somewhat crushable at theiredges and being of such dimensions that marginal portions of certain ofsaid panels overlap the edges of other of said panels in abuttingrelation at the corners of the package, said protecting members being inthe form of an acute angle and having the line of intersection of thesurfaces of the angle outwardly convexed, whereby said abutting marginaland edge portions'of the covering panels are held in tightly grippinginterengagement by the tension of said tie wires to produce a strong,rigid covering for the package.

3. A shipping package for a stackof composition wallboards superimposedupon each other in non-slipping face to face contact, said stack beingcomposed of a multiplicity of crushable composition wallboards ofcommercial length, composition wallboard panels on the outer surfaces ofsaid stack covering the sides thereof, strong angular protecting membersdistributed along the edges of the package, and tie wires encircling thepackage under substantial tension and passing over said protectingmembers, the combined force exerted by the binding wires and the numberof boards in the package being suflicient to produce a solid unbendableblock-like package.

4. In a shipping package for a stack of composition wallboardssuperimposed upon each other in non-slipping face,to face contact, saidstack being composed of a multiplicity of crushable compositionwallboards of commercial length, a rigid base member provided at oneside of the package, composition wallboard panels onthe outer surfacesof said st'ack covering the sides thereof, strong angular protectingmembers distributed along the edges of the package, and tie .wiresencircling the package under substantial being sufllcient to produce astrong unbendable block-like package.

5. A shipping package for a stack of composition wallboards superimposedupon each other in non-slipping face to face contact, said stack beingcomposed of a multiplicity of crushable composition wallboards ofcommercial length, composition wallboard panels on the outer surface ofsaid stack covering the sides thereof, said panels being of substantialthickness and rigidity but somewhat crushable at their edges, strongangular protecting members distributed along the edges of the package,and tie wires encircling the package undersubstantial tension andpassing over said protecting members, said wires exerting sufficientforce upon said protecting members to force said protecting members intocrushing engagement with the edges of said panels, the combined forceexerted by said binding wires and the number of boards in the packagebeing sufficient to produce a solid unbendable block-like package.

6. A shipping package for a stack of composition wallboards superimposedupon each other in non-slipping face to face contact, said stack beingcomposed of a multiplicity of crushable composition wallboards ofcommercial length, a rigid base member provided at one side of thepackage, composition wallboard panels on the outer surface of said stackcovering the sides thereof, said panels being of substantial thicknessand rigidity but somewhat crushable at their edges, strong angularprotecting members distributed along the edges of the package, and tiewires encircling the package under substantial tension and passing oversaid protecting members, said wires exerting sufficient force upon saidprotecting members to force produce a solid unbendable block-likepackage.

GEORGE L. HANN'.

